A Dangerous Thing
by persempretj
Summary: Life and people can be crazy things, they pick you up, let you down, and sometimes throw you back to the start.  Bella has just reluctantly moved back to Forks,running from her failures.Old friends help her cope and a new one may just change everything.AH
1. Chapter 1

"Oh come on pop!" I rolled my eyes and we pulled into the familiar run down parking lot.

"What?" Charlie's eyes widened, his expression tried for innocence.

"The diner? Really? I thought we were going for a nice welcome home dinner?"

"It _will_ be nice! What's wrong with the diner? I happen to like the diner!" He placed the car in park.

What's wrong with the diner? Well, let's start with the fact that just like the entire rest of the town of forks, it hasn't changed in about…well _ever_. It's packed every Friday night, just like this one, with the same faces. The only thing that changes less than the town of forks, are the people who inhabit this place. And let's end with the fact that I'm ashamed to be here. I had effectively ran my too big mouth all through high school, boasting how I would leave Forks and never come back. I would become a successful writer in New York city and never once take even a slight glance in my rearview mirror. Yet, now, here I am, recently divorced, new book failing, and shamefully relocated to the nothing town I had busted my ass to get out of! I think it would be appropriate to say _Fuck. My. Life._

"Oh come on Bells, it'll do you good to see some friendly faces." Charlie nudged as I huffed and hauled my sulking behind out of his old police car.

Ah yes, 'friendly old face' number one, Lauren Mallory, top bitchy high school rival, still sitting in her usual corner booth as if we were still seniors and of course still whispering into the ear of Jessica Stanley, about me no doubt, also, just like we were old times.

I was in a time warp, I simply had to be. There was no way it was possible that all of these people were still here, not only still here but still eating dinner every damn Friday night in this dumpy old diner? Forks had to be some cursed black hole, where no one could get out, once you were in, you were destined to rot here.

"BELLY!" A thunderous voice roared from behind the counter, and before I knew it, I was wrapped tightly in the grasp of a giant grizzly bear of a man.

"alkdakjbfdasflkjadf!"

"Huh? What Bells? I couldn't understand you!" Emmett, my should-have-been big brother released me just slightly.

"Can't breathe Em." I grinned up at the same curly black hair and boyish dimples I remembered from high school.

"Oh! Shit! Sorry!" He chuckled, pulled me back and then frowned. "Wow, you look like shit Belly!"

"Thanks Em, great to see you after all these years too." I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that that I looked like hell. But I was supposed to look like hell, I had just survived the worst six months of my life…I am allowed to look like hell damnit!

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be an ass…it's just…well you're too thin, and look like you could seriously use some sleep."

I couldn't help but laugh. Emmett was Emmett, brutally honest, even when you didn't want him to be, but fiercely loyal, and one of my very best friends since kindergarten.

"How have you been Emmett? How are you liking running the diner?" Charlie interrupted, giving Em, a hardy slap on the back.

_Running the diner? Wait, what?_

"It's good chief," Emmett answered, leading us to an open booth. "Business is good, I've got no complaints."

"Glad to hear it son." Charlie nodded as we took our seats.

"Don't you leave without saying bye Bells." Emmett warned with a wink before returning to the back of the restaurant.

"Since when is Emmett running the diner?" I asked Charlie as we flipped through our worn menus.

"Since his dad got sick last year and couldn't do it anymore." He answered without looking up.

"Sick?" Why hadn't I heard about this?

"Yes, they found brain tumors last year, around Christmas, remember I told you about it."

"Oh…right." I agreed, thinking back trying to remember a conversation that included news that huge, surely I wouldn't have forgotten that?

Dinner was a simple affair, as it always is in the diner. Just the steak, fries and ended with the usual berry cobbler. We had the same waitress that I remember from being a kid, she's of course older now, and insists on reminding me how much I loved the crap cobbler when I was six. Charlie kept the conversation light, but flowing, knowing me well enough to know that if I wasn't talking I'd be dwelling, but still being Charlie and feeling awkward going into anything deeper than the weather, or the trivial crime going down in the booming metropolis of Forks.

Charlie joked with the waitress and paid our bill while I said goodbye to Emmett and reluctantly agreed to meet up with him and the rest of our small high school crew at Fork's tiny pub the next night.

The drive home was quiet, just the static of the radio buzzing in the background, barely drowning out the swishing of the wet road we were driving on. I sat, staring out into the darkness at the familiar houses going by, looking at the lit up windows, trying to imagine what the families inside were doing. It was mind numbing, but it made me feel better imagining the happy lives going on inside the tiny houses, it kept me from thinking about all the things I had wanted, all the things I had, and all the things I had lost.

"Home sweet home!" Charlie announced as we came to a stop outside of my old childhood home.

"Home sweet home." I half heartedly agreed and hurried to swing my car door open and jump out, wiping the one stray tear from my face on the way before he could see.

"The doors open, go on in, I'll get your bags."

"Thanks dad." I forced out the best smile I could and pulled my coat closer to me. The damp cold Washington air would freeze you to the bone in an instant, New York winters had nothing on this.

It was a genuine smile that covered my face when I stepped through the creaky old doorway, just like I had done a million times before. The smell of home engulfed me immediately, cinnamon, boot polish, and Charlie. Glancing around, nothing had changed. The walls were still a pale canary yellow, my mom, Renee's attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Our little wooden dining table still sat in the corner, with the mail piling up on the far end. Charlie was nothing if not settled and dependable, and the house showed it. My father was a good man, standing there in our small kitchen that fact finally hit me. He wasn't a man who would wake up and decide one day that his wife wasn't enough. He'd never leave. When he said something he meant it, and when he loved you, it was permanent, and I had never loved him more for it.

"Ok kid, I think that's everything, you're room…Whoa!" I damn near threw myself into him and wrapped my arms around him as tight as I could before he could even get completely in the door. "Everything ok Bells?" His voice was concerned.

"Nothing is ok Dad." I sobbed into his chest, the first time I had really cried since all of this had begun. "But I'm glad I'm here."

"I'm glad you're here too baby." His shoulders finally relaxed and he folded his arms tightly around me. "I know it hurts right now, trust me Bella, I know, but it will fade."

We just stood there for a few minutes, father and daughter, him comforting me, and maybe even me comforting him. Tonight, was the first time it had ever occurred to me that Charlie really did know exactly what I was feeling. I was too wrapped up in myself and being a teenager when Renee left to see how it had effected Charlie. But now, now that I was older, and broken it was blazingly obvious, every where you looked in this house, from the family pictures hanging on the walls after all these years, Renee's clothes still in the bedroom closet, and even the hideous yellow walls, my father still loved my mother. He still missed her, and he still hurt.

"I should probably start getting settled in." I pulled away, tears finally dry and with a new appreciation for the man standing in front of me.

"Yeah." He agreed and fidgeted around awkwardly. "There's some new bedding on the bed for you, I hope you like it. I had the sales lady pick it out. Purple is still your favorite color right?"

"Not since I was seven." I chuckled.

"Oh, well ummm…" He fumbled, clearly still not comfortable with the emotion we had just shared.

"It's fine. I'll love it I'm sure." I rolled my eyes and grabbed one of my suitcases and headed up the stairs.

Just like everything else in this house…in the whole damn town, my room hadn't changed a bit. Full size bed on one wall, small desk on the other, closet with clothes from when I was still in high school still hanging in it. But for the first time, probably ever, I didn't mind the stale normalcy of it all. It was somehow strangely comforting.

I made quick work of unpacking a few things, taking a rushed shower and then making up the bed with the simple bedding Charlie had gotten for me. Tomorrow would be my first full day back in Forks, I would need to be rested to cope with just the fact of being back here, and with any luck, exhaustion from all the traveling, crying, and just being here would cause sleep to come quickly, tonight I couldn't deal with the nightmares.

* * *

**Ok, so this is sort of a test chapter of a story I've had floating around in my head that has recently started nagging me to the point of having to get some of it out. This chapter is a short one, just a simple beginning, but chapter number 2 is already in progress! I have a pretty good outline for where I want this story to go, the how I'm getting there is still a bit fuzzy, but that'll come along. This is of course an Edward and Bella story and I believe if all goes as planned, Edward shall be making his first appearance next chapter. For those of you who have been following along with my other stories as well, first of all THANK YOU! And I promise I WILL be finishing "The Edge"…I've just come to a standstill with it because it is a very personal story, and the emotions in it are hard to get out in a way that does them justice, but eventually I will make it happen! **

**To those who haven't been following along, welcome! And I hope you'll stick around and enjoy this story with me! **

**As ever, shoot me a review and give me your thoughts!**


	2. Old and New

"Coffee's ready!" Charlie's voice echoed up the stairs.

"Down in a minute pop!" I called back, but didn't move from my window.

I had been sitting staring out my old bedroom window for at least two hours in pure disgust at the cold drizzling going on outside. It wouldn't even snow. At least snow would make the cold temperature outside worth while, but no, just the same half ass rain coming down. I hated this place, hated the weather, the people, and just the over all blah of the place.

When I left for college, the east coast and New York City were a huge change, a wonderful, welcomed, glorious change! Things happen there, people do things there, and most importantly, people are interesting there! I felt alive in the city. Here, I feel nothing, which at the moment, is either a blessing or a curse, the verdict on that changes every few minutes. The one thing I was sure of, however, was that this situation was temporary. I'd stay here for a month or so, lick my wounds, get back on my feet and then haul ass out of here yet again. Nothing could make this place worthwhile. Nothing here could make me happy. Well, nothing except for maybe the faded red VW rabbit that just pulled up outside the house!

"JAAACOOOOOOBBBBBBB!" I let out my inner five year old and screeched the whole way down the stairs, through the kitchen, past Charlie, and out the front door into the waiting arms of my person.

Everyone has a person, or they should anyway. The one person who just gets you, who can finish your sentences, know what you're thinking, sometimes even before you know. Someone who can make you laugh when you don't even want to smile, someone who will beat up the bad guys and then hold you while you cry. Jacob Black is my person. He's been my person, pretty much since he was born. Jake's dad and my dad have been best friends most of their lives, and when Jake's mom died having him, both Jake and Billy became sort of a permanent part of our family. I didn't mind at all, I may have only been a year old, but I was dying for a little brother, and loved the hell out of the kid instantly. Our friendship did nothing but grow over the years, and we were completely inseparable. At five, we made mud pies together while our dad's fished. At 8 we held hands on the way to the park and spent our entire summers there. At 12, we shared our first kiss, and both vowed to never do it again. At 16 we learned how to drive, even though he wasn't old enough. And then at 18, I moved away and have spent everyday missing my best friend.

"I miss you too Bells!" Jake chuckled as he caught me, all of my weight not even budging his massive frame.

"Oh it's so good to see you!" I cooed into his shoulder.

"You too! But you feel too light, have you been eating?" His chuckled faded and the concern slipped into his tone.

"Yes, I'm eating. Damn, it's been a bad six months, does everyone have to point it out?" I huffed, but still wasn't ready to let him go.

"Well, at least you're home now." He peeled me off of him. "And, you, miss, have plans today!"

"No I don't?"

"Yep, you do." He grinned. "All the guys down at the reservation are dying to see you, and Emmett informed me that we're all going to the pub tonight."

"The reservation, fine. The pub, however, yeah I'm pretty sure I can live without mixing it up with the bottom feeding half of Forks." My face crinkled automatically at just the thought of the tiny, dark, hole in the wall that Forks had the nerve to consider night life.

"Oh you're going." He grinned. "Good morning Charlie!"

"Hey Jake! Good to see you son! You don't come around often enough!" Charlie beamed at the son he always wished he had. "How's your dad, I haven't seen him since we went hunting last weekend."

"I'm great, just been busy with the shop ya know." Jake moved onto the porch with Charlie, leaving me to grumble over the pub by myself. "Dad's good, you know, old and crazy but good." He laughed.

"Well, tell him to give me a call, Harry's been seeing a big buck over your way." I rolled my eyes, praying this wasn't going to send them into stories of their barbaric slaying of innocent animals.

"I sure will." Jake agreed. "If you don't mind, I thought I'd take Bells down to the res, everyone's real excited to have her home."

"Nah, you kids have a good time!" Charlie agreed, always eager to send me off with Jake.

"See ya later Charlie!" Jake waved before dragging me to his car.

The good ol' VW was exactly as I had remembered it from when Jake got it as his 16th birthday present. Still smelled of stale cigarettes from the previous owner, the dash was still faded and the seats still torn, but it also still purred perfectly thanks to Jake's amazing mechanical skills as we drove down the winding road.

"So a divorce huh?" Jake looked at me apologetically.

"Looks like it." I shrugged, doing my best to act like I didn't care.

"Well, I'm sorry you're hurtin Bells, but I'm glad he's gone. James is an asshole." He grumbled.

"He's not that bad, and you never really gave him a chance."

"Oh come on Bella. He cheated on you, he had the personality of a rock, and you can deny it all you want but I know that black eye didn't come from you falling." Jake's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tighter with the memory.

"I did fall." It was a lie, but one I had learned to tell very well over the years. "And it wasn't all him. I wasn't exactly a good wife." I blinked back the tears threatening to fall.

"You're a horrible liar Bella, have been all your life. You did not fall. And you've been good at everything you've ever done, I don't believe being a wife was any different. This guy left you, why the hell are you still defending him?"

"You have no idea what kind of a wife I was Jacob, and I'm still defending him because I _do_ still love him." My voice cracked with the admission.

"Hey, don't cry Bells." His face softened and he rubbed my leg. "I know you love him, and I know you're hurting, I'm sorry, it's just sort of my job to look out for you, that's all."

"I know Jake." I sighed. "I'm sorry too…it's just hard."

"I won't bring it up again, but he's still an asshole." Jake grinned and then turned the rest into the conversation into just catching up on what had been going on in the two years since I had last visited.

It was hard to wrap my mind around everything I had missed since I had been away. As much as I hated living back in Forks now, I also hated how rare James and I came to visit. The place itself I could live without, but my friends and dad I definitely missed, but as impossible as it seems, James hated Forks even more than I did. He moaned and complained all through the few times he had come back with me, and for the past two years came up with something every holiday for us to have to stay on the east coast for.

I didn't miss the irony in the fact that almost everything I hated about Forks could all be summed up in the fact that nothing ever changed. However, the things I loved about Forks, I loved mostly because they never changed. My friendship with Jake never changed. No matter how much time passed, our bond never slipped. Now was no different. After saying a quick hello to everyone on La Push, Jake and I made our way down to the beach. It had always been our spot, even when we were kids, the beach was where we'd always end up running around playing. When we were teenagers, the beach was our confessional, we would sit on the old pieces of drift wood and tell each other everything, feeling, fears, hopes, worries, it didn't matter it all came out there.

"How long are you staying?" Jake never bothered to drop my hand as he picked up a rock and skipped it into the black water.

"I dunno." I shrugged. "Maybe a month or two, just long enough to get my head together."

"Then what?"

"Back to New York I guess. I can't imagine living anywhere else."

"You don't have to go back ya know." He finally risked a glance down at me.

"Right, what else am I gonna do? Stay here in Forks?" I snorted at the idea.

"Well it is your home ya know." Jake snapped.

"It's not my home Jake, it's where I grew up, that's all."

"You know Bella, I just don't get it! Why do you hate it here so much?" His tone was suddenly angry as he dropped my hand and paced slightly along the edge of the water.

"There's nothing here!" I shouted, waving my arms around to display the nothingness. "What would I do Jake? Work at the Newton's sporting goods store like I did in High School.?" We had been through this conversation a million times before and it never failed to frustrate us both.

"Nothing here? Really Bella?" Jake's eyes, almost as black as the water now cut into me. "I'm here! Do you not see me standing here! Of course you don't, you never have!" His eyes softened just slightly but they refused to meet mine.

"Jake…" I sighed and moved to grab his arm, but he quickly pulled away. "does this really have to be another conversation about you and me? Cause I can't do this with you right now." I was annoyed, but kept my tone as soft as possible, not wanting to hurt my best friend any further than I had years ago.

"It's not about me damnit!" I jumped back slightly startled when he yelled. "I told you I loved you Bella. I asked you to say, but you wouldn't. And that doesn't even matter anymore, it was years ago and we were kids."

"Then what's it about Jake, I'm afraid you're gonna have to break it down, cause you've lost me." I huffed, frustrated.

"It's about all of us! Me, Charlie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, all the guys here at La Push. We're here!" He shouted.

"I know you guys are here!" I raised my voice to match his.

"Look Bells, I don't want to fight with you, you just got back. Just remember that we're here ok?" He surrendered and his voice softened.

"I know you're here." I insisted into his chest, as he hugged me tight.

"Now, Miss Swan…so glad I can call you that again, but anyway, I believe we have a date with a few friends at the pub." He chuckled.

"Ugh." I crinkled my nose.

"Come on, get drunk, have a little fun, it'll be good for you!" He grinned before swooping me off my feet.

"PUT ME DOWN JACOB BLACK!" I squealed, bouncing over his shoulder as he ran back to his car.

"BELLY!" Emmett yelled and ran opened armed towards us as we stepped into the run down old bar.

"Hey Em." I smiled as I disappeared into his huge arms.

"So glad you're here!" He pulled me away and grinned. "Jake, good too see ya buddy!" He nodded and slapped Jake on the shoulder.

"BELLA!" I barely recognized the squealing of my name before I was all but being tackled to the ground.

"So good to see you Alice!" I closed my eyes and squeezed her back, another one of the few times I was glad to be in Forks.

If Emmett was my would-be-brother, Jake my should-have-been soul mate, then Alice was the sister I was always meant to have.

Alice moved to Forks the middle of our ninth grade year, and I loved her from the first time I laid eyes on her. That's mostly due to the fact that the first time I laid eyes on her she was punching Emmett square on the chin. Now, normally I probably would have gone off at the sight of someone hitting Emmett, but the scene was far too amusing to be mad. Alice stood barely five foot on a good day, and weighed no more than ninety-five pounds soaking wet, short spiky hair, honestly back then, and even still today she looks like she should be one of the fairies fluttering around in a peter pan movie. However, what she lacked in size, she made up for in attitude, and Emmett, that the first day he met her and thought he'd be cute and slap her ass.

She and I became instant friends, she was everything I wasn't back then, social, graceful, gorgeous, a bit of a fashion Nazi, but even that I learned to love about her. Alice was the one thing missing in my life. I had Jake and Emmett, but there were some things a girl just can't talk about with a guy. I would have had Renee, but I have always held some resentment towards her for leaving me and Charlie, and I guess shutting her out of my life was how I tried to get back at her. There weren't any other girls in the entire town that I would have trusted for a second until Alice got here. She completed our little circle of friends, I had Jake and Em to make me feel secure physically, and Alice too care of the emotional stuff.

"GAH! I'm so glad you're here! Let me look at you!" She jumped back clapping her hands together as she appraised me. "You look tired, but your hair is amazing! Where did you get those jeans? SO CUTE! How long are you staying? You have to stop by the shop tomorrow! Oh you're so tiny, I have so many things that will look amazing on you!" She prattled on and on.

"One question at a time babe." Jasper's arm wrapped around Alice's tiny waist. "It's good to see you Bella." He smiled politely at me.

"You too Jas." I chuckled as Alice pouted up at him.

Jasper and Alice were sort of the resident 'Johnny and June' type couple. They were completely and totally perfect for each other and everyone knew it from the second they met in high school. All that nonsense you hear about two people completing each other, yeah that's their story. Seeing them together had always made me want to throw up a little. I never bought much into the whole idea of soul mates or two people being meant to each other, but I was sure that if soul mates really did exist, Alice and Jasper were it.

"Come on! We've got a table!" Alice tugged me along. "Boys get us a drink!" She called over her shoulder.

"Wow, this place never changes does it?" I mumbled, not bothering to try to hide the disgust in my voice as I looked around the dreary old bar.

"Yeah, yeah," Alice waved her hand, "So, how are you?" She eyed me, genuine concern clear in her face.

"I'm here." I shrugged and turned my eyes to my hands knotting in my lap.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry!" She quickly hopped over two stools to sit beside me and rub my back. "But I'm glad you're here. I think it's going to do you some good to be home for a while."

"When did the pub start having bands?" I used the faint sound of a guitar being tuned in the background to get out of the conversation.

"Since the freak moved to town." Jake huffed as he placed a beer and a shot in front of me.

"Oh stop it Jake! I think he's nice." Alice glared at him.

"No, you think he's hot." Jake grinned back. "He's an asshole, and just plain weird."

"No, I do not _think _he's hot. Of course he's no Jasper, but look at the man, he _is _hot." Alice gushed.

"He is a little different. I dunno, just get a weird vibe from him." Emmett piped in.

"Thank you!" Jake yelled.

"Whatever, you guys are just jealous." Alice rolled her eyes. "Look at him Bella, is he not hot?" She spun my stool around to face the small corner that had been cleared out.

_HOLY MOTHER OF CHRIST._

I closed my eyes and opened them again, making sure I wasn't seeing things wrong, because across the bar, strumming an old beaten up guitar sat the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. I was very sure my mouth was hanging open, but I couldn't bring myself to care or look away, until his eyes lifted and caught mine.

"Damnit." I mumbled and quickly turned back around.

"Oh god, not you too!" Jake growled.

"Shut up!" I hissed.

"You should go talk to him!" Alice bounced in her seat.

"Oh yeah, let me just skip right over." I snorted.

"Why not?" Emmett shrugged. "You're a single woman now Bells, get you some." He grinned.

"SHUT UP!" Jake slapped him in the back of the head, only making Emmett laugh. "He's a dick Bella, stay away from him." He pointed a serious finger at me.

"Oh my god, he's coming over!" Alice hissed as she locked down a vice grip on my arm.

"What?" My face instantly flamed, and I knew it had to be crimson as my eyes searched the floor, desperate to not look up.

"Excuse me?" The deep raspy voice sent a shiver up my spine, and my face just burned brighter.

"He's talking to you Bella." Alice whispered and all but elbowed me off my stool.

"Umm…hi?" I barely glanced up at him grinning crookedly down at me.

"Hi. I'm Edward." He offered his hand and I pretended not to see it.

"This is Bella." Alice beamed all dreamy eyed at him and nudged me hard again.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Bella." He smiled and I finally found the nerve to actually look up at him.

He was even more perfect up close than he had been from across the room. His face was sculpted masterfully and his chin squared off perfectly. Perfect green eyes blazed even brighter under a head full of crazy bronze colored hair. I had never been much for the rocker, grungy type, but somehow his tattooed arms, old band t-shirt, and torn jeans looked like perfection on him, and I couldn't help but smile at the tattered black and white converse on his feet…just like the ones I wore all through high school.

"You too." I chirped back, sounding ridiculous even to myself.

"I've not seen you here before." He chuckled just slightly.

"She just moved back!" Alice answered, far too eagerly.

"Ah, well then welcome home Bella." He smiled a heart stopping crooked grin again. "Someone bought me a beer and I never drink before I play a set, I saw you were drinking Guinness too, and thought maybe you'd take this one for me." He offered a bottle.

"She's got a beer." Jake stood up. "Maybe you could give that one to Lauren, is she here tonight?"_Lauren? Who's Lauren? Surely not Lauren Mallory?_ Just the thought disgusted me, he was far too perfect for her.

"I really couldn't tell you where she is Jacob." Edward glared up at Jake.

"Well that's odd, isn't she the latest fuck?" Jake spat.

"Thank you for the beer!" I quickly stood up between the two of them and accepted the bottle from Edwards hand.

"No problem." Edward took a deep breath and ran a shaking hand through his already mess hair. "It was nice to meet you, maybe I'll catch you after my set." He smiled defiantly at Jake before returning back to his guitar.

"The fuck you will!" Jake started after him before Emmett grabbed him,

"Easy buddy." Emmett pushed him back onto his stool.

"You stay the hell away from him Bella!" Jake pointed a finger at me.

"Oh good GOD!" Alice huffed. "Get over yourself Jacob, she can talk to whomever she wants!"

"Can we stop discussing me like I'm not here?" I scolded them both. "For Christ's sake Jake, he said hello, and gave me a beer, we're not getting married anytime soon! And Alice," I focused my glare on her little pixie face trying for innocence. "Stop trying to pimp me to the guy. Technically I'm still married, and we've not even been separated that long!"

"Fine." Both Alice and Jake sighed in unison.

"Now that that's out of the way," Emmett chuckled. "I do believe it's time for a shot! Bottoms up Belly!" He grinned and pushed the shot glass to me.

I gladly accepted the small glass of liquor, needing a drink for more than one reason.

The evening progressed along, far better than the nightmare I had imagined. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had laughed that much. My friends were amazing, and I wasn't completely sure how I had let that slip my mind over the years, but as we sat drinking, and recalling old times, I was very quickly remembering.

"God would you listen to him." Alice cooed, her clearly drunken eyes focusing across the bar.

My eyes followed here and very quickly I was swooning right along with her. I had been mistaken earlier when I thought there was no possible way Edward Cullen could be any hotter. His voice was quite possibly the hottest thing I had ever heard. So raspy and soulful.

"You two are ridiculous." Jasper laughed.

"He's hot." My bluntness shocked even me.

"You better watch out Jas, I'm pretty sure if Ali ever leaves you, it's gonna be for Cullen." Emmett snickered.

"Shut up. I'd never leave my Jasper." Alice bounced into Jasper's lap. "But that doesn't mean I can appreciate a fine, fine man when I see one!"

We all sat, laughing, and drinking for the next couple hours while the music played, and even when the music stopped, the drinking did not.

"Oh this is great!" Alice proclaimed, beer in the air waving back and forth.

"I need some air." I groaned, feeling my stomach go back and forth with the rhythm of her movements.

"Are you gonna be sick? Want me to go with you?" Jake eagerly offered.

"No, I'm good. You finish your beer, I'll be right back." I assured him and staggered off my stool and across the bar.

For once, the cold winter air felt amazing on my face as I stepped outside. I squinted one eye closed, and figured I could probably make it to the bench only about six feet away from the door.

"SHIT!" I yelled, as I tripped over my own feet and slammed my eyes shut, just waiting to feel myself hit the gravel.

"Whoa." He chuckled just as I realized my landing was much softer than it should have been.

When the realization that I was currently being cradled in the arms that I was fairly positive belonged to the same man that I had spent the entire night ogling, my face, the usual traitor, flamed.

I finally peeked out of one eyelid, confirming my fear.

"Are you ok?" Edward's bright green eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Physically I'm great, my pride, however, may never recover." I slurred.

"It will be our little secret." He winked.

"Did you know you're sort of beautiful?" I spat out before I could stop myself, having lost the brain to mouth filter hours ago.

"And clearly you're drunk." He snorted. "Can you stand up?"

.

"Of course I can stand up." I pulled back, trying to keep the wobbling to a minimum.

"Steady." He grinned.

"I've got this!" I declared, far too proud of myself as I finally plopped down on the bench.

"Mind if I join you?" He chuckled. "I was just coming out to get away from the smoke for a bit."

"Don't mind at all." I smiled, happily drunk.

"So you're just visiting?" He asked as he took a seat next to me.

"I guess so." I shrugged. "Actually, I have absolutely no clue whatsoever what I'm doing. I'll probably end up going back to New York but maybe not." I rambled.

"New York? That's a big change from Forks."

"A big wonderful change." I added.

"So you're not with Jake then?"

"Of course I'm with Jake, he drove us."

"No, that's not what I meant." He laughed. "I meant, you're not _with_ Jacob."

"Oh. OH! No, oh God no." I shook my head and chuckled. "Jake's been my best friend forever, that's all."

"Good to know." He grinned, and I completely forgot how to breathe.

"We're leaving Bella." Jake's angry voice boomed from behind me, effectively snapping me out of my smitten daze.

"Huh? Oh, ok!" I jumped up far too quickly and lost all balance.

"Whoa!" Edward caught me yet again. "Careful." He smiled down at me.

"Thanks." I muttered shyly, sort of wishing the ground would just swallow me whole.

"I've got her." Jake ripped me from Edward's arms. "Come on Bells, we need to get you home before Charlie puts out an APB."

"Fine." I glared at Jake and tore my arm from his grasp. "It was nice to meet you Edward."

"You too Bella. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around." He winked, and turned to go back into the bar.

"I really hate you sometimes Jacob Black." I hissed as he dragged me towards his car.

"He's bad news Bella, you'll thank me when you sober up I promise." He grumbled.

"I very much doubt that." I glared.

"You're so cute when you're mad. Sort of like a angry fuzzy little kitten." Jake grinned, and slammed my car door shut before I could start yelling.

* * *

**Ok, chapter 2 down! Sorry it's taken me FOREVER to update but things have been crazy in RL. I'm gonna try to churn out another chapter before we leave to go out of town for the holidays BUT we'll see if that actually happens. Bare with me, I promise you the updates will even out and get more regular! But anyway, things are just starting to get good so stick around…and as always, let me know what you think!**


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